Colorado health exchange adds eight-day grace period for signups

The Colorado health insurance exchange on Monday followed a federal lead and added eight days to a Dec. 15 deadline for picking and purchasing private health plans for 2014.

The federal grace period, an acknowledgment of how badly the federal exchange's computer systems have failed so far, will allow people to sign up until Dec. 23 under the new health care law and still have new coverage on Jan. 1.

Colorado's locally run computer systems have worked better, but enrollment is still slow, and exchange board members fear a crush of last-minute sign-ups in mid-December. (Open enrollment continues through March 31, but those who need coverage beginning Jan. 1 must sign up in December.)

Another 47,000 Coloradans are receiving new coverage through the expanded state-federal Medicaid program, which on Jan. 1 will cover people with higher incomes than before.

The exchange board also discussed concerns from some state legislators that a series of provocative, independently funded ads promoting the new health care law were offensive and bad for public relations.

Board members and staff said they were striving to make it clear no public money was spent on the ads, which were promoted by two independent nonprofits. They also said measures are in place to prevent outside groups from using exchange logos in ads.

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